BRAF and cancer: The BRAF gene encodes a serine/threonine kinase of the RAS RAF MEK MAPK signaling pathway and is mutated in a variety of cancer types.33 The V600E point mutation in exon 15 of the BRAF gene has been shown to be associated with insensitivity to antigrowth signals, cell-cycle dysregulation, tumor invasion and metastasis, escape from apoptosis, unlimited replicative potential and angiogenesis, and can be used as a predictive biomarker for BRAF-targeted therapy.